Veteran Gary McAllister hailed hot-shot Michael Owen as a "very special player" who is going to get better and better.

The 36-year-old Scot came on for the last half-hour as a substitute for Dietmar Hamann and was instrumental in sparking Liverpool's dramatic FA Cup final comeback with the set-piece delivery that set up the equaliser for Owen.

He said: "Michael Owen is a very special footballer, and he's a young man who is going to get better. With him in your team you are always going to have a chance.

"Yes, the treble is on. If we go into the next game against Alaves on Wednesday in the Uefa Cup final like we did this one, with the right preparation, we can do it.

"Everyone will be ready and focused. We were all elated afterwards, obviously, because it looked like we were going to be beaten.

"When they scored and I looked up at the clock there wasn't much time left at all, and it's fair to say I thought we'd had it at that point. But we took our chances, it's as simple as that."

Meanwhile, Robbie Fowler, who was left on the bench as Owen and Emile Heskey started the game, has spoken about the decision to let club captain Jamie Redknapp collect the Cup.

Finnish defender Sami Hyypi&auml; led the side out at the Millennium Stadium but after consultations between him and vice-captain Fowler, it was decided that injury-plagued Redknapp deserved the honour of lifting the trophy.

"Both Sami Hyypi&auml; and I decided that if we beat Arsenal, then Jamie should go up to collect the FA Cup," Fowler said.

"Jamie has had such a terrible season because of injury, but as I have said before, he is Liverpool's club captain and I think it was only right that he went onto the podium at the front of the team.

Rumours were rife before the game that Fowler would ask for a transfer if he was not in the starting line-up.

However, despite only coming on as a sub after 77 minutes, Fowler showed no signs of discontent with life at Anfield.

"I may have only been on the field for a few minutes, but I definitely feel I contributed. That's why I was so happy at the end," he said.